At any wedding dinner, the steamed fish is likely to make or break it. The smoothness of the meat, the sweetness of the sauce are simply heavenly. I’ve always wondered how the chefs did it. Then, I discovered their secret. Here is my attempt at restaurant standard steamed fish at home.

I got this garoupa from Sheng Siong at $3.85. Quite a small one, but anything larger won’t fit into my steamer. The first secret for this dish is not to overdo the seasoning.

Just rub salt over the fish and place ginger slices over it. Steam at high heat for 8-10mins for a fish this size. For a bigger fish, you may need 10-12 mins.

Fish is steamed and time to reveal our next secret. Discard the liquid! Yes, wasteful as it may sound, you should discard the liquid, place the steaming fish on an empty plate and let it dry out a bit. Next secret. The sauce.

What’s inside? Dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, hua diao wine and pepper.

Sprinkle some chopped celery and spring onions on the fish. Microwave the sauce for 1 min until it’s boiling, then drizzle the sauce over the fish.

More drizzling to come. Microwave about 2 tablespoons of oil until it’s fuming, then drizzle the hot oil over the fish. The dish is ready.

It’s a pity you can’t taste it, but just look at the texture of the meat and you’ll know it’s really restaurant standard. In fact, I think it tastes better than some of the steamed fish I had at some restaurants. Don’t hesitate to invite me over if you need some help with the fish.

© Chan Joon Yee